diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnection.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnection.java
index 5e0dafa57..96bf17b5c 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnection.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnection.java
@@ -626,6 +626,7 @@ public final class RichInputConnection {
      * @return a range containing the text surrounding the cursor
      */
     public TextRange getWordRangeAtCursor(final int[] sortedSeparators) {
+        final int additionalPrecedingWordsCount = 0;
         mIC = mParent.getCurrentInputConnection();
         if (mIC == null) {
             return null;
@@ -638,17 +639,29 @@ public final class RichInputConnection {
             return null;
         }
 
-        // Going backward, find the first breaking point (separator)
+        // Going backward, alternate skipping non-separators and separators until enough words
+        // have been read.
+        int count = additionalPrecedingWordsCount;
         int startIndexInBefore = before.length();
-        while (startIndexInBefore > 0) {
-            final int codePoint = Character.codePointBefore(before, startIndexInBefore);
-            if (isSeparator(codePoint, sortedSeparators)) {
-                break;
-            }
-            --startIndexInBefore;
-            if (Character.isSupplementaryCodePoint(codePoint)) {
+        boolean isStoppingAtWhitespace = true;  // toggles to indicate what to stop at
+        while (true) { // see comments below for why this is guaranteed to halt
+            while (startIndexInBefore > 0) {
+                final int codePoint = Character.codePointBefore(before, startIndexInBefore);
+                if (isStoppingAtWhitespace == isSeparator(codePoint, sortedSeparators)) {
+                    break;  // inner loop
+                }
                 --startIndexInBefore;
+                if (Character.isSupplementaryCodePoint(codePoint)) {
+                    --startIndexInBefore;
+                }
             }
+            // isStoppingAtWhitespace is true every other time through the loop,
+            // so additionalPrecedingWordsCount is guaranteed to become < 0, which
+            // guarantees outer loop termination
+            if (isStoppingAtWhitespace && (--count < 0)) {
+                break;  // outer loop
+            }
+            isStoppingAtWhitespace = !isStoppingAtWhitespace;
         }
 
         // Find last word separator after the cursor